Here is a quick list of films I plan to see in November:
Flight (November 2, 2012)
Denzel Washington is an alcoholic pilot who saves a commercial airliner from crashing by flipping the plane upside down. Also starring John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, and Melissa Leo. Directed by Robert Zemekis of Back to the Future, Cast Away, and Forrest Gump fame.
This Must Be the Place (November 2, 2012)
Sean Penn sure does like to play a diverse array of roles. This time he is a former rockstar (with crazy hair) who sets out to avenge his father's death by finding the Nazi criminal who persecuted him. The film will definitely be quirky, though I'm most intrigued by Penn's and co-star Frances McDormand's performances and the film's visual style.
Lincoln (November 9, 2012)
If Daniel Day-Lewis' rendition of the beloved president doesn't give you chills, then you must be a republican. Or heartless. Added bonus: JGL. Less exciting: another cookie-cutter score by Williams. (Don't send me hate mail about that one...he has written some of the most beautiful film scores of all time, but lately his scores have sounded uninspired and repetitive.)
Skyfall (November 9, 2012)
Bond. Daniel Craig. Judi Dench. Ralph Fiennes. Sam Mendes. *awesomegasm*
Life of Pi (November 21, 2012)
The son of a zookeeper struggles to survive on a lifeboat with a tiger after the ship he was traveling on sinks in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. From the trailers, Ang Lee's first 3D film looks visually breathtaking and equally emotional.
Rust and Bone (November 23, 2012)
Here's more proof that Marion Cotillard is as good of an actress as she is beautiful, as if anyone needed it. Cotillard stars as a killer whale trainer who looses her legs in a tragic accident. The film was well received at Cannes, especially Cotillard's performance, though it didn't pick up any awards there.
Hitchcock (November 23, 2012)
Hopkins steps into the role (and the face prosthetic) so perfectly that you might forget that you're not watching the real Hitchcock. And you can never go wrong with leading ladies Helen Mirren and ScarJo.
What November films are you looking forward to the most? Did I forget about anything or include something I shouldn't have? Share your thoughts below!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Finding Nemo 3D
Finding Nemo 3D (2012)
Directed by Andrew Stanton.
I don't remember if I saw Nemo in its original theatrical release back in 2003, so it was a no-brainer that I had to see the 3D re-release in its opening weekend. I do however remember watching it on DVD so many times that that it stopped working (or maybe it just got scratched...)
Anyway, I was very excited to see my favorite Pixar film in a theater for the first time. I'm still not a big fan of 3D and probably never will be, but this was worth seeing with the extra dimension. Unlike most conversions, especially on live-action films, the extra dimension didn't feel awkward and annoying. The conversion actually achieved the primary goal of 3D: it gave extra depth that the original lacked, and made the already striking seascapes even more beautiful.
I know you've seen Nemo in at least two of the D's, if not all three, so instead of doing more review-ish stuff, I'd like to hear your opinion. Yes this is for a grade, and it's due on Friday.
How do you feel about 3D? (I know, it's an old question, but it's still valid.)
Should Disney continue converting its vast collection of animated films? If so, which should be next?
Finding Nemo 2?
5 out of 5 Stars
Viewed September 14, 2012 at Cinemark 14 in Denton, TX.
Directed by Andrew Stanton.
I don't remember if I saw Nemo in its original theatrical release back in 2003, so it was a no-brainer that I had to see the 3D re-release in its opening weekend. I do however remember watching it on DVD so many times that that it stopped working (or maybe it just got scratched...)
Anyway, I was very excited to see my favorite Pixar film in a theater for the first time. I'm still not a big fan of 3D and probably never will be, but this was worth seeing with the extra dimension. Unlike most conversions, especially on live-action films, the extra dimension didn't feel awkward and annoying. The conversion actually achieved the primary goal of 3D: it gave extra depth that the original lacked, and made the already striking seascapes even more beautiful.I know you've seen Nemo in at least two of the D's, if not all three, so instead of doing more review-ish stuff, I'd like to hear your opinion. Yes this is for a grade, and it's due on Friday.
How do you feel about 3D? (I know, it's an old question, but it's still valid.)
Should Disney continue converting its vast collection of animated films? If so, which should be next?
Finding Nemo 2?
5 out of 5 Stars
Viewed September 14, 2012 at Cinemark 14 in Denton, TX.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Box Office Review: September 2012
As expected, September was a very boring month (and not just for me personally...) Even though 2012 had the second highest grossing September of all time with a domestic total of $571 million, it still lagged behind July (2012's highest grossing month) by a staggering $745 million.
Ironically, in the final weekend of the month Hotel Transylvania set a new record for the highest grossing opening weekend in September, beating former champ Sweet Home Alabama by almost $7 million.
What worked:
Hotel Transylvania
Though only in theaters for the last three days of September, Adam Sandler's Dracula and his merry band of ghouls earned $42.5 million domestically. Not only did that break the record mentioned above, it also made Hotel the highest grossing film of the month. It's even currently tracking ahead of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs which earned a domestic gross of $125 million back in 2009, though I doubt Hotel will hold out that well. Look for this to finish up around $90 - $100 million domestically, which more than covers its $85 million production budget.
The Possession
Sam Raimi's most recent horror flick, though he only produced it, lurked into theaters on the last day of August and still managed to claim second place for September with $41 million domestically ($47.5 million including its opening day.) That isn't much compared to the perennial Paranormal Activity franchise, but it is still quite an accomplishment for a $14 million film.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The coming-of-age tale featuring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller opened in four theaters to an impressive per-theater average of $57,090 (fifth highest of the year.) In its second weekend, Wallflower expanded to 102 theaters and grossed just over $1 million. Considering its popular cast, universal appeal, and positive reception from critics and audiences, Wallflower should continue to expand in the coming weeks and could end up around $30 million domestically.
What didn't:
Won't Back Down
Hotel Transylvania wasn't the only film to set an opening weekend record this month. With a domestic opening weekend gross of $2.6 million, Won't Back Down claimed the title of lowest grossing opening weekend of all time for a film released in more than 2500 theaters.
Dredd
Hollywood's second attempt to turn the popular British graphic novel into a successful franchise seems to have stalled on the first floor. With Karl Urban's masked superhero only confiscating $11 million domestically for the month, I don't expect it to reach its $50 million production budget or a final gross high enough for Lionsgate to greenlight a sequel.
Honorable Mentions:
Most of this month's releases were neither blockbusters nor flops. Finding Nemo 3D ended the month in fourth place with $36 million domestically, but is tracking behind the rest of this year's 3D re-releases. End of Watch, House at the End of the Street, and Looper all earned modest domestic grosses between $20 and $25 million. The Master opened to $736,311 in limited release to claim the highest per theater average of the year, but stalled in its nationwide release and ended the month just short of $10 million.
October is definitely going to fare better than September, with likely blockbusters Taken 2, Argo, and Paranormal Activity 4. What do you think will be the highest grossing film of the month?
Ironically, in the final weekend of the month Hotel Transylvania set a new record for the highest grossing opening weekend in September, beating former champ Sweet Home Alabama by almost $7 million.
What worked:
Hotel Transylvania
Though only in theaters for the last three days of September, Adam Sandler's Dracula and his merry band of ghouls earned $42.5 million domestically. Not only did that break the record mentioned above, it also made Hotel the highest grossing film of the month. It's even currently tracking ahead of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs which earned a domestic gross of $125 million back in 2009, though I doubt Hotel will hold out that well. Look for this to finish up around $90 - $100 million domestically, which more than covers its $85 million production budget.
The Possession
Sam Raimi's most recent horror flick, though he only produced it, lurked into theaters on the last day of August and still managed to claim second place for September with $41 million domestically ($47.5 million including its opening day.) That isn't much compared to the perennial Paranormal Activity franchise, but it is still quite an accomplishment for a $14 million film.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The coming-of-age tale featuring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller opened in four theaters to an impressive per-theater average of $57,090 (fifth highest of the year.) In its second weekend, Wallflower expanded to 102 theaters and grossed just over $1 million. Considering its popular cast, universal appeal, and positive reception from critics and audiences, Wallflower should continue to expand in the coming weeks and could end up around $30 million domestically.
What didn't:
Won't Back Down
Hotel Transylvania wasn't the only film to set an opening weekend record this month. With a domestic opening weekend gross of $2.6 million, Won't Back Down claimed the title of lowest grossing opening weekend of all time for a film released in more than 2500 theaters.
Dredd
Hollywood's second attempt to turn the popular British graphic novel into a successful franchise seems to have stalled on the first floor. With Karl Urban's masked superhero only confiscating $11 million domestically for the month, I don't expect it to reach its $50 million production budget or a final gross high enough for Lionsgate to greenlight a sequel.
Honorable Mentions:
Most of this month's releases were neither blockbusters nor flops. Finding Nemo 3D ended the month in fourth place with $36 million domestically, but is tracking behind the rest of this year's 3D re-releases. End of Watch, House at the End of the Street, and Looper all earned modest domestic grosses between $20 and $25 million. The Master opened to $736,311 in limited release to claim the highest per theater average of the year, but stalled in its nationwide release and ended the month just short of $10 million.
October is definitely going to fare better than September, with likely blockbusters Taken 2, Argo, and Paranormal Activity 4. What do you think will be the highest grossing film of the month?
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